Something extraordinary must happen if Kirk Cousins is to stay in 2018

An otherwise solid offseason for the Redskins front office turned unimaginably sour this past Monday afternoon, along with the prospects of Kirk Cousins returning in 2018.

The Redskins failed to lock down their best quarterback in twenty years. And on top of that, they basically called Kirk Cousins out in a statement released shortly after the deadline. It’s not an unusual look for a team that makes a habit and a hobby out of messing things up. Some thought the draft was a sign of good things to come. The turning of a new leaf. One step forward, two steps back.

It’s not the fact that Kirk Cousins wasn’t signed that’s alarming. It’s how it happened. First, there was the maze of words in the weeks leading up to the deadline. ‘We want Kirk’, said the Redskins. ‘I want to be here’, said Kirk. Apparently, neither of those statements were very true.

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Even a week in advance, there were already reports skeptical of a new deal. And when the deadline passed, there was nothing from the Redskins but an unusual statement emphasizing the silence from Kirk’s camp in negotiations. The statement casts a shadow on both sides. In the eyes of many fans, it paints Cousins as greedy, or insincere (a notion I don’t entirely disagree with). And the statement also seems to be a malicious and self-centered attempt on Allen’s part to shift blame away from the front office, an authoritative body in sports that has endured endless criticism since the turn of the century.

And now, after the contract deadline, the two sides are even farther apart than they were before it. If Cousins wasn’t frustrated with the Redskins front office before, he is now. And who would want to stay in Washington with Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen in charge? They certainly have a reputation for this sort of thing.

Cousins has said he doesn’t get his security from money. Whether he should’ve accepted the deal based on financial gain is another story. But the fact of the matter is, Cousins likely wouldn’t feel secure playing four or five more years under the oversight of Allen and Snyder. Rather, he likely wants to get out as soon as possible. Likely to San Francisco, where the team is starting something with a playoff winning coach and a Hall of Fame general manager.

Next: Report: Redskins offered Cousins record guarantees

Therefore, something extraordinary will have to happen next season if Kirk Cousins is to remain a Washington Redskin. What does ‘something extraordinary’ entail, you ask? I’m not even sure. But all I know is that 8-7-1 isn’t acceptable for the Redskins anymore. Big games need to be won. Team games need to be won. Because if Cousins isn’t impressed by the front office, the last chance of him staying is to do it for the team. Talk to someone from a dynasty, and they’ll say it was ‘something extraordinary’. The Redskins need to be extraordinary for Kirk Cousins in 2017.

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